PS 3179 
I.W14 
Copy 1 



WHAT IS 



A FLOWER 

TO THEE? 






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BY 



S. A. W. 




PRINTED BY FRED. Q. BARKER, WATERTOWN, MASS 



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COPYRIGHT, I886, 
BY MISS S. A. WHITE. 









A primrose by a river's brim. 
A yellow primrose was to him 



And it was nothing more. 



Wordsworth. 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/whatisflowertothOOwhit 



What is a flower to thee? 
!_ HERALD of the beautiful new Spring, 
A voice that calls me to the woods away : 
Too frail a thing to hold within my hand. 
Hut fitting- gift for merry blue-eyed girl. 
And just in time to crown her queen of May. 



What is a flower to thee? 
OMETHING to love and fondly to caress, 
1 To shelter from rude winds in sunny homes, 
Lovelv to deck the hair on festal day, 
Or in sub rosa bower, the ear attent 
To words of love, a ready victim for 
An idle hand, ruthless to tear apart. 



What is a flower to thee? 

PERFUME that can waft me far away 

P\r To fairv scenes, beneath a southern sky. 

Where youthful glow of morning life was spent ; 
Or, rare exotic breath speeds me to fair 
Pacific isle, and through the tropics, rich 
With birds and gems, wings my exultant flight, 
Till some material touch, or word, or look. 
Calls me reluctant to my workday sphere. 



What is a flower to thee? 

TUNE'S sapphire sky is bending o'er the earth. 

P And Summer, breathing odors sweet, leads forth 
The glory of a perfect day, our bliss 
To consummate. Fresh orange blossoms crown 
This fair, true woman at my side. How soon 
She will be mine ! A few swift droppings of 
The sands of time, a few strong words and we 
Are one. Henceforth the flush of Summer bloom, 
The breath of orange flowers, recalls our vows. 
The solemn c * Wilt thou" and the sweet " I will." 



What is a flower to thee: 

X DEAR companion in a shaded room : 

rr Can I be sad when they have come, the dear, 

Bright flowers, fresh from the garden and the fields 

Bringing a wave of Summer air, and gleams 

Of golden light, like happy children in 

Their artless innocence? 

Or it may be 

A voiceful messenger from absent friend, 

The genial presence of mute sympathy. 

Others admire, thev can not read mv flower. 



What is a flower to thee? 
X MIRACLE of loveliness, wrought by 
rt A hand divine, from earthly chemicals. 

Earth, air and sky are in the lowly flow r er, 

Yes, God himself is in the speaking form ; 

For me he made it spring, and bud and bloom ; 

His seal of love upon the breast of earth. 



What is a flower to thee? 
DEEP, sweet lesson to be slowly learned. 
My soul bow r reverent as disciple true. 
And quaff the wisdom from above. 

God cares 
For flowers. Their transitory life he makes 
Complete. Purple of kings grows dim beside 
The opening flower. Have faith my soul ! God cares 
For thee. The seed in weakness sown is raised 
In glorious incorruption, and in power. 
A body as shall please Him thou shalt have. 
Faultless, complete, in his own image made. 



What is a flower to thee ? 
FITTING emblem of this mortal life, 
^V A rose can never be a bud again. 

Hoar age can ne'er resume the flush of youth, 
And death, inexorable death, consumes. 
— Greeting of dust to quick, pulsating dust. 
When little children press with tender feet 
The lap of mother earth and grasp a flower. 
— A farewell sweet, laid on the marble clay. 
When eyes that wept have closed to weep no more, 



What is a flower to thee? 

X N angel thought borne on bright wings from heaven. 
■Pt Recalling that celestial flower, the Rose 

Of Sharon blooming there. O heart of mine. 

Till thou shalt rise with Him. for others give 

Thy sweetness and thy strength. 

While now I hold 

This flower, fairer than all beside, this pure 

White lily of a day. translucid. frail. 

Scarce needing change to bloom in bowers above, 

I seem to touch the human hand of Christ. 

The infant Jesus in his mother's arms. 



Bring flowers to crown the festal hoard. 

Bring flowers — the bride is near ; 
Bring flowers to soothe the captive's cell, 

Bring flowers to strew the bier ! 

Mrs. Landau. 



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